Apparatus for producing wrinkle texture on nonwrinkling films



'Original Filed Nov. 12, 1946 2 SI-IEETS-SI-IEET 1 Oct. 14, 1952 w, AN 2613393 APPARATUS FOR PROQUCING WRINKLE TEXTURE 0N NONWRINKLING FILMS mveuron :IILLIAM E FLANAGAN Y A'n'oausvs- Oct. 14, 1952 w. F. FLANAGAN 2,613,393

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WRINKLE TEXTURE ON NONWRINKLING FILMS! Original Filed NOV. 12, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTORNEYS have a high evaporation rate. methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, butyl acetate,

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WRINKLE TEXTURE 0N N ONWRINKLING FILMS William F. Flanagan, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to New Wrinkle, 1110., Dayton, Ohio, at corporation of Delaware Original application November 12, 1945, Serial No. 709,310, now Patent No. 2,510,966, dated June Divided and this application November 16, 1949, Serial No. 127,962

3 Claims.

This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 709,310 filed November 12, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,510,966.

This invention deals with an apparatus for marking wrinkle coatings, and in particular with an apparatus for transforming coatings of nonwrinkling compositions into such having a wrinkle texture.

It is an object of this invention to give a wrinkle texture to a coating which has heretofore been held non-wrinkling.

It is another object of this invention to produce wrinkle coatings that are fast drying.

It is still another object of this invention to produce wrinkle-textured films in an unusually simple and inexpensive manner.

It is still another object of this invention to give a wrinkle texture to a conventional nonwrinkling coating by means of materials which are extremely inexpensive.

It is still another object of this invention to produce a wrinkle-textured finish which has a predetermined pattern within said texture.

It was found that by the simple method of spraying water on the preferably warm coating, a wrinkle texture develops which has an entirely uniform pattern. I do not know the reason for this unexpected and striking result. However, it seems possible and likely that the wrinkle formation is caused by a different rate or reduction in temperature at various locations within the coating, the water causing a more rapid cooling down at the locations where it is applied than does occur at the non-wetted spots. This, however, is merely an assumption for which no proof is available.

All thermoplastic resins were found operative for use with the apparatus of my invention. Thus, for example, vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride copolymers or a mixture of the two, chlorinated rubbers, styrene polymers and copolymers, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, methyl cellulose, vinyl butyrate, polyethylene, butadiene copolymers such as butadiene acrylonitrile and butadiene styrene copolymers, methyl methacrylate, vinylidene copolymer, vinyl alcohol polymers, vinyl acetate polymers, vinyl chloridevinylidene chloride copolymer and mixtures of these substances are among those which were found satisfactory for the process of my invention.

As the solvents, those were preferred which For instance,

cyclohexanone, xylol, toluol, toluol together with nitroparaffins, v and amyl acetate were found highly satisfactory. The concentration of .the resin solution depends upon the viscosity desired. The lower the viscosity, the better the skinning action will be. Generally, a concentration of from 10 to parts'by weight of resin per 160 parts by weight of solution was the range found satisfactory. The viscosity-preferrecl was approximately 36.2 centipoises at 25 C. However, this viscosity is by no means obligatory, especially not since the way of applying the coating composition also necessitates an adjustmentof the concentration of the solution as will be set forth in a later paragraph.

While a resin solution consisting merely of resin and solvent is fully satisfactory, it is often advantageous and therefore desirable to add a plasticizer. All plasticizers known in the art are suitable for this purpose. Tricresyl phosphate, dioctyl phthalate and dibutyl phthalate are examples for suitable plasticizers.

Other auxiliary ingredients may be added to the resin solution without deviating from the concept of the invention. Thus, filler materials, pigments and dyes may be incorporated into the coatingsolution.

The coating composition may be applied by any means known in the art. Knifing, rolling and spraying have been used with satisfaction. It will be obvious that for spraying, the use of a less viscous solution is advisable than is preferred for knifing or rolling.

A thin skin is then developed on the surface of said coating. This may be done by merely allowing the coating partly to dry at room temperature or else by fiash heating, the latter being the preferred method.

The flash heating step may be carried out, for example, with infra red heat, with a hot air blast, or in an oven having the temperature necessary. The heating time as well as the temperature depend upon the composition applied, in particular on the boiling point and evaporation rate'of the solvent, and also to a certain degree upon the heat sensibility of the base material onwhich the coating has been applied. In general, heating from 35 C. for four minutes up to C. for approximately 30 seconds was found to give satisfactory results.

The film, after a thin surface skin has formed, is then exposed to a water spray. For this, plain tap water suffices; however, water to which a small amount of wetting agent has been added gives better results and in particular a more uniform texture. The addition of up to 3% wetting agent was found the preferred quantity. All wetting agents known are operative for the process of the invention. It is desirable that the spraying step is carried out without great delay after formation of the skin has set in.

The water sprayed onto the coating does not evaporate immediately from the surface of the film, but it is being absorbed rapidly by the coating. This is another phenomenon which was not to be expected and for which there is no explanation available as yet. Wrinkling formation sets in immediately and increases as the film cools down. Drying of the water-sprayed and wrinkled film may be either carried out by forced means such as oven drying, or by letting the film air-dry until the solvent has evaporated. A combination of heating and air-drying was found especially satisfactory. In this case, heating for i a fraction of a minute sufiices in order to initiate the drying procedure.

The film produced by the apparatus of my invention may be used as such or in combination with a base on which it has been applied. If the film is to be em loyed alone. it has to be removed from the base plate on which it has been prepared. In such case, the use of smooth ri id plates, as for example metal bands, glass plates,

hard rubber plates or the like. is advisable. In

order to facilitate removing of the film from the base. it is recommendable to app y a thin coat of lubricant thereto prior to coating with the resin solution.

Another very satisfactory method. instead of lubricating the plate, is that of dipping the base "with the finished film into a solution of trisodi m phosphate for a short period of time. After such a pretreatment, the film may be easily removed by a scraper or other means known in the A the fi m prior to water spra ing may be comi bined into one sin le step by using a heated doctor blade for spreading the film on the base plate.

I addition to the production of a uniform wrinkle pattern. additional effects may be obtained in the surface appearance of the coat ing of my invention. Thus, for example, metal powder may be applied to the base plate prior to coating it with the resinous material. This gives a particularly pleasing metallic luster to the product obtained, no matter whether it is to be used on the base plate or as a film by itself. The metal powder, in the case that the film is peeled off, sticks to the surface of the resin coating so that the metallic appearance will be retained in the film after its removal from the base. 'Another way of modifying the appearance is by giving it a pattern of different colors. This may be done by choosing a dye of selective solubility. Thus, for example, a dye may be used which is soluble in water but not in the solvent used for the resin. In this case, it will only enter the water droplets and thus appear only in spots in the film. On the other hand, a dye may be used which is water insoluble but soluble in 4 the resin solvent; a similar multicolored effect will be obtained in this case.

I also found that a pattern may be obtained within the wrinkle texture by causing the development of wrinkles of different sizes. The application of different degrees of heat in different spots of the film proved to yield wrinkles of dissimilar size. For example, I heated the film on a plate which was heated by electrical heating coils. These coils were arranged in a diamondshaped relationship. When I removed the film heated on this plate, the pattern i which the resistance was arranged in said heating plate was reproduced in the film, the film showing coarse wrinkles along the lines corresponding to the wires of resistance and finer wrinkles therebetween. While this pattern-heating, as I call it, may be done before or after spraying with Water, I obained better results when heated prior to the application of water. This is a new way of producing patterns in wrinkle finishes, and by modifying the arrangement of the resistance in the heating device, a great variety of patterns may be produced in the most simple manner.

By combining the various modifying procedures described in the foregoing, further new effects may be obtained. Thus, unpredictable possibilities are available for the production of variegated wrinkle patterns from non-wrinkling coating materials.

The uses of the coatings of my invention are manifold. The materials are suitable for ,curtains, rain coats, oil cloth, either alone or as applied to an appropriate base material, they are usable for protecting metal parts against rust or other surface-corrosive effects, they may be applied to paper, glass or the like and then be used, for example, as the material for lamp shades, they may be used as leather imitation materials and for many other purposes.

In the following, an example is given which demonstrates the production of one kind of film made by the apparatus of my invention:

Example 100 grams vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymer 4 grams dioctyl phthalate 200 grams butyl acetate 43 grams methyl ethyl ketone 14 grams cyclohexanone The resin copolymer used was formed of 87 molal per cent of vinyl chloride and 13 molal per cent of vinyl acetate. It was dissolved in the solvents, and the plasticizer, dioctyl phthalate, was then added. After the mixture had completely dissolved, an additional quantity of solvent was added until a viscosity of 36.2 centipoises at 25 C. was obtained. The solution was then flowed by gravity onto a glass plate and passed under a doctor blade which was adjusted so as to yield a film of between 20 and 25 mils. The glass plate with the film was then heated to 65 C. for 3 minutes when a thin skin had formed on the surface thereof and immediately sprayed with water which contained 1.5% of Tergitol, a wetting agent sold by Carbide and Carbon Chemicals Corporation. The glass plate with the film was then allowed to cool down for approximately 15 minutes. During this time the wrinkle formation set in, and the water completely disappeared from the surface. Thereafter the film was oven dried for a very short time in order completely to remove the solvent therefrom. Finally the glass plate was immersed into a 10% solutionof 'trisodium phosphate whereupon the film could be easily stripped off the plate.

I wish to mention that forced drying, after water spraying, is not necessary and that the same result maybe obtained by merely letting the coated articles air-dry. Due to this fact, the

process of my invention may be carried out in an "dinal section through the heating plate of Figure 2 along the line 3--3;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional plan view of the heating plate taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a film obtained with the heating plate illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figure l, the reference numeral ill illustrates an endless metal band guided over a driving roller II which is driven by a motor I2 via belt IS. The belt is also guided over a number of guide rolls l4, l5, l6, l1, l8, l9 and 2!]. Over the metal belt Hi there is arranged a reservoir 2| which holds a resin solution composed of a non-wrinkling resin dissolved in a proper solvent. A pipe 22 forms the outlet for dispensing said resin solution onto the metal band in the form of a film 23. adjustably supported on a rack 25 close to said reservoir 2|. This blade may be adjusted according to the thickness desired of the film. Next to said doctor blade, there is arranged a drying oven 26. The reference numeral 2'! indicates a spraying device with which a water spray 28 is applied to the film 23. Next to the water spray 21 there is arranged another drying oven 29, and following it there is mounted a chamber 30.

A pipe 32 which is connected with a pump 3| leads into said chamber 30. An outlet 32 is also arranged at the chamber for the solvent driven off from the film; this outlet may be connected with a solvent recovery system (not shown). A bath 33 containing a solution of trisodium phosphate 34 is arranged next to the blasting chamber; the guide rolls l5, I6, I! and i8 are attached to this bath. Next to the outlet end of the bath 33 there is arranged a scraper 35. The reference numeral 36 indicates a winding reel for the film 23.

The device illustrated in Figure 1 operates as follows: The metal band in is continuously driven in the direction of the arrow. A resin solution is dispensed from the reservoir 2i through the pipe 22 onto the metal band H]; the doctor blade 24 then spreads the resin composition so as to form a film of uniform and predetermined thickness. Thereafter the film is flash heated in the oven 26 for a period of time just sufficient to develop a thin surface skin. The metal band then carries the film under the water sprayer 2'! where it is thinly covered with a layer of finely dispersed water droplets.

A doctor blade 24 is In the instance illustrated, the film'is then brought into the oven 29 where it is subjected to brief drying. There the wrinkle texture starts to develop, and the water is absorbed bythe film. Thereafter the film covered metal band arrives at the chamber 30 where it is treated with a warm air blast in order fully to remove the solvent. The metal band, which is now covered with a dry, homogeneous film of a uniform wrinkle texture, then enters the bath 33; the trisodium phosphate contained therein loosens the film from the metal base whereby peeling 01f of the coating is facilitated. Thereafter the film is removed by the scraper 35. The finished product is then received by and wound onto the reel 36.

In Figure 2 a modification of my apparatus advantageous for carrying out this specific embodiment is illustrated. There, an endless band 31 is guided over rollers 38 and 39 and driven in the direction of the arrow. A dispensing hopper 49 equipped with a heating coil M is arranged at the place where the band enters the upper level of the loop. The hopper 453 contains wax material which is held in a molten condition by means of a hot medium circulating in the heating coil 4!. A thin layer of wax is applied to the band by means of an outlet 42, and a doctor blade 43, which is arranged next to said reservoir, provides for uniform thickness of said wax layer. The wax coated band then arrives under a sprayer M which is connected with a container 45. This container holds a resin solution. A film is produced by spraying this resin solution onto the band 47. Next to the dispenser 45 there is installed a heating device which consists of two high-frequency heating plates 48 and 49. There the film is heated until a thin skin has formed on the surface.

Thereafter, the film coated band comes under a sprayer 56 from which water 5| is sprayed thereon similarly as is shown in Figure 1.

The film material now leaving the endless belt 31 is cut into pieces by a knife 52. In this instance the sheets 53 are individually dried on a plurality of heating tables, one of which only is shown in the drawing Figure 2; this heating table is indicated with the reference numeral 53. The detached film-covered plates are designated with the reference numeral 54. Each heating table is equipped with a heating plate 55 in which the heat is created by electricity. Figures 3 and 4 show the heating plate 55 on an enlarged scale. This heating plate 55 consists of a plate 55 of insulated material in which metal coils 57 are cm- L bodied. From Figure 4 it is apparent how the heating coils 51 are arranged in a diamondshaped pattern.

In Figure 5 part of the film obtained on the heating plate 55 is illustrated. It will be seen from this figure that two kinds of wrinkles are clearly distinguishable, namely, those 58 located along the lines corresponding to the diamondshaped arrangement of the heating coils and those therebetween, the wrinkles 58 being of greater depth and width than the wrinkles 59.

It will be understood that while there have been described herein certain specific embodimerits of the invention, it is not intended thereby to have it limited to or circumscribed by the specific details given in view of the fact that this invention is susceptible to various modifications and changes which come within the spirit of the disclosure and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing wrinkle textured comprising a belt having an upper strand, ,means for driving said ,belt, and in sequential arrangement above the said upper strand in the direction of travel thereof, means for dispensing a liquid wax coating onto said belt, means for dispensing a resin solution onto said wax coating, means including a heating element for developing a skin on the surface of said resin solution on the side thereof remote from said wax coating, meansfor applying finely dispersed water droplets onto said skin, and heating-means comprising heating coils in a geometric configuration for drying said resin in a predetermined pattern, said pattern being formed ,of wrinkles of different sizes.

2. An apparatusfor producingwrinkle textured films comprising a belt. having an upper strand, means for driving said belt, and in sequential arrangement above the said upper strand in the direction of .travel thereof, means for dispensing a liquid wax coating onto said belt, means for dispensing a resin solution onto said wax coatmeans including a high frequency heating element for developing a skin on the surface of said resin solution on the side thereof remote from said wax coating, means for applying finely dispersed water droplets onto said skin, and heating means comprising heating coils in a geometric configuration for drying said resin in a predetermined pattern, said pattern being formed of wrinkles of different sizes.

3. An apparatusfor producing wrinkle textured .films comprising ,a belt having an upper strand,

means for driving saidbelt, and insequential arrangementabove the said upper strand in the including heating coils in a geometric configuration for drying said resin in a predetermined patternto bereproduced in said .film.

WILLIAM F. FLANAGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

2,119,727 Talbot June 7, 1938 2,345,013 Soday Mar. 28, 1944 2,405,977 Peters Aug. 20,1946 

